What are people saying about The Pathway to Love:

“Insightful, practical, heartfully and psychologically sound, The Pathway to Love provides the steppingstones to creating genuine love in your life. It is a must-read for those who value honesty, authentic commitment to self and other, and appreciate relationship as a vehicle to self-actualization.”

You will wonder at times how she knew about you and a particular significant other because she seems to describe you and the relationship to a T. And, when you read the last page you will wish you had read it years and a number of relationships earlier.

Irene Conlan

I have read other books on this topic which spoke to me... This book, which I got in the Kindle version, pulled it all together for me--the biology, personal values, self identity, the human quest for belonging and intimacy. The book... brought to me great understanding. I wish I had ordered the paper version with the workbook. I ended up going back and ordering it.

Paula Markgraf Katz

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Entries in breakups
(10)

You've been unhappy in your relationship for some time. You and your significant other have argued, negotiated and retreated in your attempts to navigate the differences between you. You've tried counseling but you found that you were the only one interested in making a change. In the end, you've come to the conclusion that you and your partner are simply not a good match. As painful as it is, your love for your mate is faltering and you can no longer accept things as they are. You long for a different kind of relationship and are unwilling to settle for anything less. You've let go of any hope for anything better--you've worked through your last ounce of resistance to letting go. You tell yourself that tonight you will tell your partner that you want to end the relationship.

Making the final decision to end a relationship is not easy. Typically, it takes time, a lot of pain and multiple attempts to make things better before accepting that the relationship is no longer working. Some people struggle endlessly, prolonging the agonizing decision much longer than is necessary. Others may jump ship too quickly, accepting defeat before they've given the effort and time necessary to fix what feels broken. It is hard to know when to call it quits. It's hard to give up on someone you love, a relationship you value and the hope that this would be the one to last a lifetime.

To help those of you that are currently wrestling with the dilemma of "Do I stay or do I go?"--here are some guidelines to help you figure out when to call it quits and when to hang in there and give it one more try.

Read the important article in its entirety - Click Read in Browser

FYI- As you may have already heard, Gmail is rolling out some new features to automatically filter your email messages for you (this also applies if you use Google Apps for your business email address!).

Gmail is phasing in a new "tabbed inbox" system. You may have already seen it in your inbox if you use Gmail. If not, you'll see it soon. Google is rolling the new system out to users overtime. They've split your inbox into 5 separate inboxes and created tabs across the top labeling each "Primary, Social, Promotions, Updates and Forums".

My emails to you will most likely fall under promotions. To ensure that you get the information you want from me, here’s what you can do.

Option 1:

1 - Click on the Promotions inbox tab.

2 - Drag any emails from people you want to hear from and drop them onto the tab that says “Primary.” Then, when it asks if you want future emails to go into your Primary inbox, just click yes.

For the next few weeks, as Gmail phases these new tabbed inboxes in, be sure to check your Promotions inbox to make sure nothing else you really want is getting caught (and lost) in it.

Option 2: If you want to completely remove these new tabs - go to the Settings box in the upper right hand corner of your inbox and select "Settings." Click on the "Inbox" tab and unselect all categories but "Primary" (don't forget to save your changes).

I hope this information is helpful to you. Thanks in advance for making sure we can stay connected!

Relationship Help Q&A Video "My Ex has Cancer and I feel justice has been served. I'm a bad person for feeling this way?"

Watch and learn as Julie Orlov answers your love and relationship questions. Today's questions deals with anger and resentment toward your ex -- even if he or she has a life threatening illness! Learn how to let go, forgive, and move on rather than hold on to your resentment and indulge your fantasies of revenge.

Watch the video on YouTube or directly on my blog (Click Read in Browser to connect)

Coming to terms with the end of a relationship is one of the most difficult transitions that relationships offer. It is complicated and often a non-linear path to “un-attach” oneself to someone you have come to know as your other half. To make matters worse, if you are the one who still wants the relationship to continue, you may find yourself compromising your values and morals in order to find a way to pull your significant other back in. Even if you are the one who initiated the ending, you may also find yourself pulled back to your ex as you navigate the waters of letting go. See if the following scenario rings a bell for you or someone you know.
You officially have called it quits. One night your ex calls and invites you to dinner. You accept the invitation. You tell yourself you did so because you want to get the books you left at the house. But if truth be told, you really accepted the invitation because you’re feeling lonely and miss being around someone so familiar. When you arrive at the house, it feels good to be back in familiar territory—food, wine, and conversation flows—and before you know it, you find yourself having a passionate interlude with your ex. After the passion subsides, you wonder if you did the right thing. It felt like a good idea about an hour ago but now you’re feeling a little worried. Sound familiar?

You sit silently while you hear those dreaded words “I just don’t think this relationship is going to work.” You know the time for pleas on giving it one more try is gone. There is no need to argue. You feel the certainty and finality of the words. And when you find the strength to stand up, you walk away knowing that you will never be with this person again. The beginning of the end is here. This journey you must walk alone. And it is a painful path.

We all know what it feels like to feel hurt, betrayed, or abandoned. We learn these painful lessons early in life and continue to feel our wounds reopen every now and then as we move through adulthood. Being vulnerable requires risk. There is no way to experience profound love and intimacy without risking your heart. Sometimes the risk pays off and sometimes it doesn’t. So the question is not if we’ll ever have a broken heart, the question is when. It’s simply a part of life.
But please don’t despair. There is good news. There are gifts that come with a broken heart. And there are ways to trust again. Let’s take a look at what the broken heart can teach us.